The Pioneer by Bridget Tyler (review)

Joanna Watson has trained all her life to fly, and when her family is tasked by the International Space Agency (ISA) with settling Tau Ceti e, an ostensibly habitable new planet, Jo looks forward to piloting one of the shuttles. When a freak accident on their ship kills her brother and causes her a severe heart injury, the ship nonetheless proceeds to Tau. There the travelers find themselves in danger as official records of the planet have suspiciously omitted its inhabitants—“the Sorrow,” an authoritarian society with glowing bodies living in an underground cavern city, and the predatory phytoraptors. Bitter, literally heartbroken, but persistent, Jo leads a gang of teens deeper into the mysteries of this planet and its residents. The conflict between all three parties is forced and awkward, as is Jo’s sudden romance with a smart-mouthed cadet, but the issues may engage young readers with classic Trek tastes. The story concludes with Jo back in the pilot’s seat as the remainder of the human race arrive on Tau, indicating that the battle for—and destruction of—the planet will only get worse and more desperate, so interested readers may hope for a sequel.